Chapter 25
Tico
Ember’s body goes stock still at the name ‘the Collector’. I look over at Wire and he dips his chin, silently telling me that he’ll dig into it.
I walk forward and stand next to Ember.
“What else can you tell us about the Collector? When was the exchange supposed to happen?”
Once again, Bones hesitates. Wire had dug into all of their identities last night and this kid? He’s a Prospect and was almost ready to patch in. Just twenty-three years old. But then Wire found out he joined the Chrome Vipers willingly. That…that signed his death sentence.
“It was supposed to happen this upcoming Friday night. After the fight you were supposed to have. His men were supposed to grab you on your way home.”
Ember reaches into my back pocket, grabs my brass knuckles and stomps back over to Ryan before delivering a wicked right hook to his jaw.
“You three really are fucking brainless, aren’t you?
If the Collector had gotten his hands on me, there would be no fucking ‘handing me over to Scooter in a month’.
I would have never seen the light of day ever again.
And when the Collector used up my body, I would have been buried somewhere on his massive estate just like everyone else he used up,” she seethes.
I narrow my eyes. She knows who he is? I glance over at Daemon but even he seems confused. How does Ember know the Collector or knows of him?
“I’ll m-make sure the Masters hear everything about your b-betrayal when the c-calvary comes,” Ryan spews but he and the others should know that they’re never getting out of here alive. Unfortunately though, his threat works and Bones clams up.
Ember’s right hand trembles slightly at her side, my brass knuckles hanging loosely in her hand.
The skin around her knuckles is already reddening and I curse inwardly.
Chingar (fuck). Those brass knuckles were made specifically for me which means they’re too big for her.
Resolving to check on her hand later, I take my knife off the table and walk back over to Ryan, slicing off his grungy boxers so that he’s completely naked.
“You are going to tell me everything about that deal and anything else I want to know, otherwise you and I will be spending a lot of quality time together.”
Ryan spits at me, but I step back in time to avoid it.
“I’ll n-never talk. It w-won’t be long until they c-come for us, and when they d-do, I’ll enjoy m-making you p-pay for this. Once the C-Collector is here, I’ll make s-sure you have a front row s-seat for when he claims her v-virginity in front of you.”
He laughs but it’s soon cut off with another cry of pain as I grip his mediocre dick in my gloved hand and slice it right off.
Daemon steps forward without me asking to and cauterizes the wound with the torch. The added pain of the torch causes Ryan to pass out again. I sigh with irritation but step back so that Psycho can dump another bucket of ice water over him.
Ignoring Ryan’s sputtering as he comes too, I look at the other six captives. “Anyone else care to talk?”
None of them answer, and I give the signal. Five of mis hermanos (my brothers) step forward and each of them takes one of the men.
I step in front of Spike, another Prospect, who is hanging to Ryan’s right. With how pale Ryan’s looking right now, I don’t want to push him too hard or too fast and have him die on us before he gives us the information we need.
It feels like hours but is probably only ten minutes when the guy Taco is torturing, Nathan, finally caves.
“S-Scooter didn’t know. N-None of the Chrome V-Viper’s did,” Nathan sputters as he tries to catch his breath.
Him and Ben are the two that aren’t part of the Chrome Vipers and we suspect they both work for Oasis.
“E-Ember’s right. She was n-never going to be h-handed back over to S-Scooter.”
Ryan’s head whips toward him. “You were g-going to double c-cross us? We’re p-partners!” he screams.
Nathan laughs hollowly, his voice heavy with pain. “It’s always the f-fucking same reaction with p-peon clubs like yours. You all t-think you’re the b-big shit when really, you’re just d-doing the job for p-pennies compared to what we w-work with.”
“You c-cheated us out of our r-rightful cut! He needs to p-pay for unlimited a-access to that b-bitch!”
“What else can you tell me?” I ask him, ignoring Ryan’s rants.
Nathan hesitates, but nods. “P-Pyper’s buyer was supposed to t-take her after the C-Collector got his hands on Ember.”
“Who is her buyer?” Ember asks, her voice ice cold as she comes up to stand next to me.
“I don’t k-know his name, but I k-know he’s in El Diablo’s inner c-circle. The m-man’s like a shadow. He n-never says a word and m-most people don’t even s-see him until it’s too l-late.”
Once again, Ember’s body goes stock still and I wonder if she knows who he’s talking about.
I hand my knife to Daemon and give him the signal to continue. Once again, screams bounce off the walls and I step close to Taco, lowering my voice.
“Get all the information out of them that you can but try not to kill them just yet. Especially Ryan. I want him alive when we get our hands on Drone and Scooter.”
“You got it, Prez. Take care of Queenie. I suspect she knows who those two men are and it looks like she might need you right now.”
I look over at Ember to find her staring at Ryan, and if looks could kill, he’d be dead.
“I think you might be right.”
Stripping off my gloves, I toss them down onto the plastic mat.
Looking down at my clothes, I don’t see anything on them, thankfully.
I grab my cut, slipping it on and then grab Ember’s cut before walking over to her.
Gently, I take the whip out of her hand and she blinks up at me as if she didn’t realize I was standing beside her.
I hand the whip off to Psycho who sets it off to the side to be cleaned later.
She takes her gloves off and, after verifying no visible bodily fluids got on her clothes, she slips her cut back on.
Placing a hand on the small of her back, she thankfully lets me guide her out of the room.
Both Xochitl and Poison silently slip out with us.
I lead Ember to the back door of the clubhouse and then up the back staircase as I try to keep us from running into anyone. Opening the door to my bedroom, we all file in, but Ember stands just inside the door, looking like a zombie.
“Ember? Are you alright?” Xochitl asks her carefully as she watches her closely.
Ember blinks and looks around, kind of like she didn’t realize we came back here.
“Em?” I ask her as I come up next to her, gently placing my hand on the small of her back.
She looks up at me and the pain, fury, and betrayal in her eyes almost brings me to my knees.
Instead of answering me right away, she walks over to our bed and sits down.
I sit down next to her while Xochitl and Poison sit on the armchair and loveseat.
Ember takes a deep breath and shakily takes my hand in hers, threading our fingers together, almost as if she needs the touch to ground her.
“The first time I saw the Collector, I was twelve. Ever since then, Scooter met with him at the clubhouse at least once a year, but this past year, his visits increased to be almost monthly. Every time he came, it was always when I was scheduled to work at the bar so I couldn’t fully escape him.
He’d stare and leer at all of us that were working.
” She pauses and looks over at me. “I meant what I said in there. Those that he ‘collects’ never see the light of day again. There never would have been a hand-off to Scooter if he managed to get his hands on me.”
“How do you know?” Xochitl asks as she leans forward, resting her arms on her legs.
Ember gives a little huff and shakes her head sadly.
“Because he likes to brag. He’s of a similar mindset as the Chrome Vipers and Oasis—women are meant to keep the house, cook, clean, spread their legs and raise kids without question.
He also believes he can do anything he wants to them and that they’ll just take his abuse.
“The last three times he was at the bar and clubhouse, he took someone back with him to his house. Each time, it was a young woman, probably not even sixteen.” She pauses and takes a deep breath.
“And each time, he’d feel them up while watching me.
A few times he cornered me and told me exactly what he’d do to me and for me if I became part of his collection.
He likes to preach that he’s rescuing us, but he forgets that some of us have heard him brag about the darker side of what he does with his collections. ”
“And the guy that bought Pyper?” Poison asks.
Ember shudders again. “He’s talked about like a myth.
Almost a legend. He’s kidnapped more people for Oasis than anyone else from what I’ve heard.
Scooter calls him ‘The Shadow’. I’m not sure what his real name is, but for the last few years, he’s been at the clubhouse every time someone from Oasis visits. ”
“So, you can describe them?” I ask and Ember nods.
“I can do you one better.” She pulls her phone out of her pocket and opens her email. “Between Frannie and I, a cut slut that helped me ever since Mom died, we managed to get a few pictures of them.”
Ember pulls up an email thread and turns it toward me.
Both Xochitl and Poison get up and look over my shoulder at the picture.
I take the phone, scrolling through the pictures attached to the email.
My gut clenches at the looks the Collector was giving Ember and the other women.
Then I get to the pictures of The Shadow, and I pause. Something about him feels…familiar.
“Every time The Shadow came around, things were always more tense in the clubhouse. But it was also…safer…in a way.”
I glance over at Xochitl, both of us frowning in confusion.
“Safer how?” she asks.
Ember frowns in return. “It was weird. The rumors say he’s one of the most dangerous men in Oasis, yet whenever he came to the clubhouse, all of us women were treated better.
We actually got full meals; no one was beaten, well, in a public manner at least; and there were no public displays of sex.
Even when both the Shadow and the Collector were there together, the Collector almost seemed afraid of the Shadow.
They also seemed to defer to the Shadow for any decisions. ”
I look down at the pictures again, hating where my mind is going, but before I mention anything, I need proof.
Taking a deep breath, I turn to Xochitl. “You said you had something both Ember and I needed to hear?”
Xochitl nods. “I do. In my territory, there’s a group that consider themselves a ‘gang’.
Normally, they don’t interfere with any of our businesses or missions, but I got word from one of my contacts that Oasis has hired them to do some of their dirty work.
People have been going missing around Kiel—and not all of them are women or girls.
I have eyes on them, hoping they’ll lead us to where they are hiding their victims. But that’s not all. ”
She pauses and takes a deep breath and gives Ember an almost sympathetic look before turning to me.
“Last night, Angel was manning our bar when she overheard a conversation. That conversation confirmed my contacts information. Drone and Scooter also hired those thugs to come here and create distractions for your club. And if the opportunity arises, to capture Ember and Pyper.”
Ember’s body freezes, just like it did before when Rochelle gave me the note that said Ember and Pyper were in danger.
“They aren’t getting their hands on Pyper. Or Rochelle,” she says darkly.
“Or you,” I reply.
If those fuckers think they can come into my territory and steal my new family from me, they’ve got another thing coming.
Ember nods, almost nonchalantly, then her lips thin.
“Something about last night still doesn’t sit right with me.
” She turns, her emerald-green eyes boring into me.
“You said Wire was following my dad and the others back to the hotel via cameras and that Psycho, Kane, Clutch, and two Prospects were following them. If they had eyes on them, then how did Ryan and the others break off on the way home or sneak out of the hotel to come here?”
My muscles tense because that same question has been burning in the back of my mind as well.
I’ve already suspected that we have a rat because of discrepancies we’ve been having with our shipments and a few times, our locations have been compromised.
Each time we noticed in time, thank fuck, but it could have been very deadly if we hadn’t.
I stand, my jaw clenched so hard I can feel the muscles ticking.
I don’t want to believe that one of mis hermanos (my brothers) might have betrayed me, but there is also a first time for anything.
I pull out my phone, texting Wire, and am surprised when he replies that he’s in his room.
Then I glance at the time and realize we’ve been up here longer than I thought.
“Wire is in his room, let’s find out what actually happened.”
Xochitl and Poison head out into the hallway, but I snag Ember’s wrist before she can follow.
“Vicious, there was a question posed in Church that I need to talk to you about. Nothing’s wrong,” I quickly reassure her when I see her panic, “they just had a question I need to ask.”
Her face softens and she gives me a small smile. “I’m gonna take a stab and guess that they asked if I’m willing to be bait to draw them out.”
I huff slightly but can’t stop my lips from twitching in amusement. “I don’t know if I’m lucky in the fact that you know MC life so well or if I you’re going to keep me on my toes.”
Ember steps closer and reaches up, cupping my cheek.
“I know exactly what those women are being subjected to in Oasis and the Chrome Viper’s grasp.
I will fight for their freedom, and I am willing to be bait to draw out my dad and the others.
” Her eyes harden and the muscles in her jaw ticks.
“But Pyper is not to be used at all in this. Or Rochelle. She’s already been subjected to enough pain. ”
I shake my head before she’s even done talking. “No,” I reply immediately. “We weren’t going to ask either of them to be bait. Though, I still plan to talk to Rochelle to see if she can give us any other information that might help us.”
Relief fills her face and she goes up on her toes and kisses my cheek. “Thank you, Diego.” She pulls back and her face hardens again. “Now, let’s go see what Wire can dig up for us.”